Today in the WBTS, March 23rd 1861 Ft. Chadbourne, TX, is abandoned by Federal forces 1862 Skirmish at Smyrna, FL. Skirmish in the vicinity of Carthage, MO. Federal operation between Point Pleasant and Little River, MO. Beginning of the Federal siege of Fort Macon, in the vicinity of Beaufort, NC. Battle of Kernstown, VA. Confederate General Thomas J. Stonewall Jackson suffers a rare defeat when his attack on Union forces in the Shenandoah Valley fails. Jackson was trying to prevent Federal General Nathaniel Banks from sending troops from the Shenandoah to General George McClellans army near Washington. McClellan was preparing to send his massive army by water to the James Peninsular southeast of Richmond for a summer campaign against the Confederate capital. When Turner Ashby, Jacksons cavalry commander, detected that Yankee troops were moving out of the valley, Jackson decided to attack and keep the Union troops divided. Ashby attacked at Kernstown on March 22. He reported to Jackson that only four Union regiments were present--perhaps 3,000 men. In fact, Federal commander James Shields actually had 9,000 men at Kernstown but kept most of them hidden during the skirmishing on March 22. The rest of Jacksons force arrived the next day, giving the Confederates about 4,000 men. The 23rd was a Sunday, and the religious Jackson tried not to fight on the Sabbath. The Federals could see his deployment, though, so Jackson chose to attack that afternoon. He struck the Union left flank, but the Federals moved troops into place to stop the Rebel advance. At a critical juncture, Richard Garnett withdrew his Confederate brigade due to a shortage of ammunition, and this exposed another brigade to a Federal attack. The northern troops poured in, sending Jacksons entire force in retreat. Jackson lost 80 killed, 375 wounded, and 263 missing or captured, while the Union lost 118 dead, 450 wounded, and 22 missing. Despite the defeat, the battle had positive results for the Confederates. Unnerved by the attack, President Lincoln ordered McClellan to leave an entire corps to defend Washington, thus drawing troops from McClellans Peninsular campaign. The battle was the opening of Jacksons famous Shenandoah Valley campaign. Over the following three months, Jacksons men marched hundreds of miles, won several major battles, and kept three separate Union forces occupied in the Shenandoah. 1863 U.S. Grant wrapped up several days of consultations in Cincinnati with William T. Sherman. Grant headed for Washington to get to work and Sherman headed back for Nashville to plan his campaign that would include the March to the Sea through Georgia. . Beginning of a seven day Federal operation out of Fayettesville, AR. Skirmish with Indians along the Eel River, CA. Skirmish at Ocklockonnee Bay, FL. Beginning of an eight day Federal operation against Jacksonville, FL Skirmish at Danville, KY. Federal operation in the vicinity of Ponchatoula, LA. Attack on the Warrenton, MS, batteries by the Albatross and the Hartford, below Vicksburg, MS. Beginning of nine day Federal operation between Bloomfield and Scatterville, MO. Skirmish in the vicinity of Rocky Creek, NC. Skirmishes at Thompson’s satiation and near La Grange, TN, on Davis’ Mill Road. Skirmish on the Little River Turnpike, near Chantilly, VA. Confederate attack on Williamsburg, VA, is repulsed. 1864 Beginning of an eleven day Federal expedition in the vicinity of Camden, AR. Skirmish at Benton, AR. 1865 President Abraham Lincoln boarded the River Queen with his wife and son Tad. The first family was headed to General Grants headquarters at City Point, VA. Skirmish in the vicinity of Dannelly’s Mills, AL. Beginning of a two day Federal operation between Donaldsonville and Bayou Goula, LA. Skirmish along the Neuse River, at Cox’s Bridge, NC. Sources: The Civil War Day by Day, Philip Katcher. The Civil War Day By Day: An Almanac 1861-1865, by E. B. Long with Barbara Long. The Chronological Tracking of the American Civil War Per the Official Records of the War of Rebellion, by Ronald A Mosocco
Posted on: Sun, 23 Mar 2014 13:38:26 +0000
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